Real Friends

Last Sunday, my good friend, Mark Simcik, experienced some severe pain in his left shoulder.  It was intense enough that he asked a member of the ward that's a nurse about what could be the cause.  After explaining that the pain had migrated up into his jaw, she said that to be safe, he should go to the emergency room because it might be a heart attack.  After lots of tests (and even more waiting) he was told that he wasn't experiencing any cardiological abnormalities and scheduled for even more test.

When I heard what had happened, I stopped by the family's home the next day to check in and drop off a pie.  While he and Lori were out, their son gave me a brief update that his dad was fine and thanked me for the treat.

After no additional updates, I emailed Mark on Friday to share my concern about his wellbeing and to see if he needed any help the following day.  He said he could use a hand and we made arrangements.

The next day, I was updated on his state of health: we don't know for sure what happened, but it looks like it was probably a torn shoulder or something similar.  The pain has come and gone since last Sunday with no real pattern, but it's been manageable.

After he told me what had happened, we did a few things around the house (prepared the lawn mowers for the season, replaced some air filters and made sure the AC still worked, etc.), but mostly we hung out.  We shared stories about being frustrated about going to the ER, I gave him some advice about his AC system (even though I'm still really new to the HVACR industry, I still know more than an average person off the street), and we just enjoyed each other's company.  Lori said that after the ordeal he had had, having a relaxing Saturday was probably exactly what Mark needed.

This was a great experience for me.  For the last two winters, I helped Mark winterize his pool and he paid me for my time.  I was unemployed both times, so I was there as an employee, at least in part.  This time, I was purely there as a friend.  No payment was offered and none was required.  I was merely there to help out a friend in need and it was a great experience.